Cooling device.



P. W. FOSTER.

COOLING DEVICE.

PELL w. FOSTER, or NEW YORK, NEW YORK, N.

N. Y., ASSI GNOR T0 POWER SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK..

COOLING DEVICE.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, TELL \V..Fosrnn', a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, county and State of New York. have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cooling Devices, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to devices for cooling air or water, and itschief object is to provide for the purpose a simple and effectiveapparatus which can be manufactured at low cost and in which any partssubject to deterioration can be easily and cheaply renewed.

"0 this and other ends the invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction and combinations of elements hereinafter described and moreparticularly set forth in the appended claims.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the complete device.Fig. 2 is a cross sec tion of the same, about on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a front view of the rotor or revolving element of the device.

The apparatus in its preferred form comprises a casing 10, preferably ofcylindrical form, having at its bottom an inlet pipe 1.1. and an outletpipe 12, by which a current of water is kept. flowing through thecasing, with the water level maintained at about the height shown. Inthe front wall at; the top is an opening 13, to which a pipe or conduit.14 is connected for delivering a current of air, and at the oppositeend of the casing, at the top, is an air outlet pipe 15. Across thecasing is a partition 16 having a circular opening 16 the upper portionof which is behind the air inlet opening. The lower part of thepartition, indicated by 17, constitutes a dam, by which the desireddepth of water is maintained in the casing, as will be readilyunderstood.

In the chamber or compartment formed by the partition and the rear wallof the casing is a revolving element or rotor 18, in the form of a drummounted on a shaft 19 extending axially through the casing and rotatedin any convenient manner not shown. The drum, partially submerged in thewater as shown, is provided with a multiplicity of cells or spaceswhich, covered with a film of water as the Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed June 28, 1912.

the walls of Patented Dec. 31,1912.

Serial No. 706,391.

drum revolves, are carried across the current of air through the upperpart. of the casing, so that the air, flowing through the cells, isbrought into intimate over a very large area. The result is a rapidtransfer of heat. from the warmer to the. cooler medium, as the case maybe.

The rotor comprises a shaft 19, on which is mounted ahub 20, provided onits periphery with axially extending slots 21. Arranged in these slotsand bolted to the hub is a series of U-shaped members 22, formed ofchannel irons bent to shape with their flanges disposed inwardly, asshown. These members thus provide radially extending spokes with deepradial grooves on the inside.

The framework described is set up in horizontal bearings so as torevolve easily in a vertical plane. A starting and spacing bar 93. ofwood or other suitable material, provided. the length of the bar beingsuch as to permit the bar to he slipped down one of the U-shapedmembers, between the arms or spokes and into the groove at the bottom.This bar has fastened to it one end of a long strip of woven fabric, forexample burlap, or heavy, loosely woven canvas, and after the bar isproperly positioned, the rotor is turned slowly to wind thereon thestrip of fabric mentioned, which is slightly narrower than the spacebetween the spoketlanges. As each pair of spokes passes the operator hedrops into the groove a bar similar to the one described, untilthe-starting point is reached, after which similar but thinner bars, 24,are used. Proceeding in this manner, with the strip of fabric held undersuitable tension, a cellular structure is built up between the spokes,consisting of a spirally wound fabric with its turns or layers heldapart by the spacing bars, the outer end of the strip being fastenedsecurely to the last spacing bar, 24*.

The arms or spokes at the front of the wheel are made slightly longerthan those at the rear, to support a circular rim 25 composed of metalplates riveted to theprojecting ends of the spokes. The rotor isarranged in the casing 10 with this rim directly behind the partition16, so that the rim serves to close the spaces which would otherwise beleft between the circular edge of the opening 16 and the polygonalprofile of the cellular structure. Between the contact with the waterfront wall of the casing and the partition 16 is a curved guide plate26, partially surrounding the shaft 19 and havingits inner or rear edgein line with the outer surface.

a large surface, thus permitting a rapid-transfer of heat from thewarmer to the cooler medium. When the fabric with which the drum iswound is made of organic material, as is usually the case, it eventuallydeteriorates but can be renewed easily and cheaply at any time, thespacing bars being removed as the old fabric is unwound and replaced asthe new fabric is wound on. The spacing bars may be of wood or metal,but for the sake of lightness are preferably made of wood and soaked inparaflin or otherwise treated to protect them from the water.

The spacing slats or bars 24 in conjunction with-the'fabric and thespokes 22 form pockets which as the rotor revolves are filled withwater. As the pockets move through the current of air the watercontained there- 'in is spilled out and upon the fabric so that thelatter is wetted not only while submerged in the water in "the bottom ofthe casing or chamber 10 but also while in the air.

The construction herein specifically illustrated and described is thepreferred form, but the invention is of course not limited thereto. Onthe contrary it can be embodied in other forms without departure fromits proper spirit and scope as defined by the following claims. I

I. claim:

1. In a cooling device, a revolving drum comprising a hub, a pluralityof axially spaced spokes or arms arranged in pairs, a fabric woundspirally between the spokes, and axially extending spacing barsremovably mounted between the spokes and located between the turns ofthe fabric to provide a cellular structure, the spokes and barscotiperating to hold the latter in position and prevent displacementthereof by the tension of the fabric.

' 2. In a cooling device, a revolving drum comprising a hub, a pluralityof outwardly extending spokes at the ends of the hub and alined axiallyin pairs, a fabric wound spirally around the hub between the alinedspokes. and spacing bars extending axially from spoke to spoke betweenthe turns of the fabric to space said turns apart and provide a cellularstructure, the spokes and bars cooperating to hold the latter inposition and prevent displacement of the bars by the tension of thefabric.'

3. In a cooling device, a revolving drum comprising a hub, a pluralityof spokes alined axially in pairs and provided with grooves on theirinner faces, a strip of fabric wound spirally between the alined spokes,and spacing bars extending axially between the almed spokes and intosaid grooves, the bars being arranged between the turns of the fabric toprovide a cellular structure.

4. In a cooling device,a revolving drum comprising a hub, a plurality ofspokes axially alined in pairs and composed of channel irons with theirflanges disposed'inwardly to form grooves on the inner faces of thespokes, a fabric wound spirally between the alined spokes, and spacingbars arranged between the turns of the fabric and extending into saidgrooves whereby the bars are positioned and held against displacement bythe tension of the fabric.

5. In a cooling device, a revolving drum comprising a hub, a pluralityof Ushaped members mounted .on the hub with their arms extendingoutwardly therefrom to form spokes, the said members being formed ofchannel irons bent to shape with their flanges disposed inwardly, afabric wound spirally around the hub, and spacing bars between the turnsof the fabric and extending between the flanges of the spokes.

6. In a cooling device, a revolving drum comprisinga hub, a plurality ofspokes alined axially in pairs, a fabric wound spi rally between thealined spokes, axially extending spacing bars between the turns of thefabric to space the turns apart and provide a cellular structure ofpolygonal contour, the spokes and bars cooperating to position thelatter and prevent displacement thereof by the tension of the fabric,and a circular rim on a face of the drum, mounted on the outer ends ofthe spokes and having its inner edge shaped to the polygonal contour ofthe cellular structure.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. PELL W. FOSTER. Witnesses:

M. LAWSON DYER, WILLIAM P. JOHNSON.

